Abstract
Parasarus Ruz, 1993 comprises small black bees (3-5 mm long) endemic to xeric regions of South America, mainly along of the Andean Cordillera. Prior to this study, the genus included only the type-species P. atacamensis Ruz, 1993 (from northern Chile) which has mesoscutum strongly reticulated and inner hind tibial spur curved apically. In this paper, a taxonomic revision of Parasarus is presented and two new species are described: P. specularis sp. nov. (from central to northwest Argentina) diagnosed mainly by pygidial plate of female extremely acute apically and labral plate yellow in male; and P. spiniventris sp. nov. (only recorded from central portion of Chile) diagnosed by antennal socket below middle of face, subantennal area as long as broad, metapostnotum smooth, and sternum 3 of male with a tuft of stiff hairs. The morphological variation related to the type-species was studied and not considered sufficiently to recognized distinct species into P. atacamensis. Distribution maps, floral associations, key to species of the genus, and illustrations of general external morphology and genitalia are also provided.
Highlights
Protandrenini is the most diverse group of Andreninae bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae s.l.) in the Neotropical region by number of genera with more than 400 species described (MOURE et al 2012, ASCHER & PICKERING 2014)
The tribe is restricted to the Americas, being diverse in temperate and xeric areas (MICHENER 2007)
Parasarus was proposed by RUZ for a single species – P. atacamensis Ruz, 1993
Summary
The material examined belongs to the following collections: AMNH – American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA; DZUP – Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil; IMLA – Fundación Miguel Lillo, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina; MZSP – Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; PCYU – Packer Collection at York University, Toronto, Canadá; PUCV – Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile; and RPSP – Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. The diagnostic characters presented by RUZ & ROZEN (1993) and MICHENER (2000, 2007) that are common to all species of Parasarus here recognized are the following: small body size (3-5 mm); integument predominantly black or dark brown with some yellow markings on legs; pubescence in general short and white; face without yellow marks in either sex; glossa shorter than prementum; segment 1 of labial palpus with similar length or shorter than segments 2-4 combined; lower half of face of males densely pilose; anterior tentorial pit at intersection between outer subantennal and epistomal sutures; supraclypeal area weakly produced between antennal sockets; mesosoma sparsely punctate; submarginal cells two; outer margin of hind tibia of males toothed; mid tibial spur of females finely serrate; metasoma of males broader than mesosoma; lateral foveae of T2 weakly depressed; T7 of male without pygidial plate (Fig. 29); S8 of male gradually tapering to a distal projection (Figs 31, 34, and 37); volsellae with denticles; gonostyli of male less than half length of gonocoxites (Figs 39-47). Parasarus spiniventris sp. nov. is only known from Central Chilean sub-region (Andean region)
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